Reagan Backs Off Contra Military Aid

April 19, 1985|By Terry Atlas and Dorothy Collin, Chicago Tribune. (Tribune reporters Lea Donosky and George de Lama contributed to this report.)

WASHINGTON — Facing almost certain defeat in Congress, President Reagan backed off Thursday on his request for military aid for the Nicaraguan rebels and said the $14 million he seeks would be limited to providing them with nonlethal humanitarian assistance.

``The President is willing to make that compromise in order to get bipartisan support,`` said a senior White House official.

Earlier, the Republican-led Senate Appropriations Committee narrowly approved Reagan`s request to free $14 million in military aid for the rebels, called contras.

But many committee members warned that ultimate passage was doubtful even in the Republican-led Senate unless the White House accepted a compromise limiting the money to nonlethal, humanitarian assistance.

The 15-13 committee vote came as the administration conferred with Senate and House leaders to craft a compromise that would avoid an embarrassing foreign-policy defeat for the President.

Late in the day, a White House official said the administration had reached an agreement with the Senate leaders on a compromise measure they believe will be able to clear at least the Senate.

It would endorse the President`s Central American policies, criticize Nicaragua`s Sandinista government as the cause of instablility in the region and free the $14 million to be used to purchase food, clothing and medical supplies through the end of the current fiscal year, Sept. 30.

``That`s all we can get,`` the official said. No decision has been made about seeking military aid for the Nicaraguan rebels in the future, he said.

In his original request for $14 million, Reagan said the money would provide food, clothing and medical assistance during a 60-day cease-fire period, after which it could be used to buy military equipment for the rebels if peace talks between them and the Sandinistas failed, or if none took place within the 60 days The Sandinistas have already rejected the proposal for peace talks.

The compromise would exclude military aid under any circumstances.

In the House, where the President`s plan is in deep trouble, Democratic leaders plan to offer Friday their alternative plan directing the money to refugee aid and support of regional peace efforts.

The House scheduled a vote for Tuesday on the President`s original proposal, which is expected to lose by 20 or 30 votes, before taking up alternatives. The Senate is to vote the same day.

The Democratic House leadership ``still wants to beat the President,``

said the White House official. He called the Democratic alternative a ``cop-out, pro-Sandinista approach`` and said the administration would work with House Republicans to push an alternative acceptable to the White House.

While the White House said it had a deal, there were questions in Congress about whether the money would still be funneled through the CIA and whether there might be an administration effort to end the congressional ban on other secret CIA support for the contras.

Earlier in the day, Reagan signaled some softening in his position and said he was willing to ``make some alterations`` in his original request. ``My feet aren`t in concrete on this,`` he told a group of editors and broadcasters. ``Yes, there is leeway. We are flexible.``

The chairman of the appropriations committee, Sen. Mark Hatfield (R., Ore.), who voted against the military aid, said there was not an agreement at the time the panel opened its meeting.

Many members of the committee said they voted for the measure only to avoid embarrassing the President while efforts were being made toward a compromise. The measure is considered a special appropriation that couldn`t be amended by the committee, and will be procedurally difficult to change on the floor.

Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (D., La.), who voted for the measure, called the committee action ``a vote for both support (for the President) and urging him to come up with something better.``

Conservative Democrats on the committee voted for the administration request, while liberal Republicans opposed it. The vote came after sharp debate in which little support was voiced for the President`s plan.

``We all feel like the resolution is flawed and wish for something else,`` said Sen. Lawton Chiles (D., Fla.), who crossed party lines to vote for the measure.

The opposition also crossed party lines. If Congress supports the anti-Sandinista rebels, said Sen. James Abdnor (R., S.D.), ``don`t we basically become the terrorists?``

``By voting favorably, we will be voting for the overthrow of the government of Nicaragua,`` said Sen. Daniel Inouye (D., Hawaii).

Early in the day, Secretary of State George Shultz went to the Capitol to meet privately with senators and hear their suggestions for alternative proposals.